Final answer:
The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine and marking a milestone in the civil rights movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The significant outcome of the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was that the Supreme Court determined segregation in public schools to be inherently unequal and unconstitutional. This landmark decision of 1954 was unanimous, with the Court announcing that segregated schools, even if equal in terms of facilities, could not provide truly equal education due to the psychological harm of endorsing racial inferiority implied by segregation. By overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education was a major victory for the civil rights movement and helped to set the stage for future progress towards racial equality in the United States. The significant outcome in the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was that the Supreme Court determined that segregation is inherently unequal and unconstitutional. The unanimous decision in Brown v. Board determined that the existence of racially segregated public schools violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.